April 2010

Earlier in the week, I mentioned that I was juggling two crochet emergencies. I am happy to report that I have now completed one of the urgent projects, and I would like to introduce to my dear readers — in her world premiere on an internet blog — the inimitable Georgina:

Georgina the crochet monkey sitting on the front porch awaiting a mint julep

Georgina came to be because of my mom’s best friend from kindergarten. My mom, and her best friend to be met in Mrs. Crow’s class at Easterby School in Fresno, California. It was then that my mom’s friend first demonstrated an as yet unparalleled ability to make a monkey face,. Despite repeated attempts to teach this skill to others, no one has come close to matching the degree of excellence my mom’s friend has been able to achieve.

Now, however, my mom’s friend is facing serious health difficulties, and since she has an affection for monkeys, I thought that an amigurumi monkey would be the perfect companion for the medical appointments and treatments that my mom’s friend is having to undergo. I found what I thought was a good pattern in a Leisure Arts Little Book titled Vanna’s Choice easy crochet Critters.

Between shepherding my son to various lessons and meeting other non-crochet obligations, I finished Georgina today. The hat is one of my mom’s creation, and I quickly threw together the boa you see Georgina wearing. The hardest thing about making this monkey was finding suitable eyes. After too many stops and too much aimless wandering down too many aisles at too many craft stores, I finally found some 7mm black buttons with a shank in Wilson, North Carolina, at one of the few remaining Walmart stores with a fabric section.

Georgina’s engagement in North Carolina is a one-night only sort of production; she is slated to move to California tomorrow where she will take up residence with my mom’s best friend. So, before saying good-bye, I took Georgina on the first of what will no doubt be many adventures. We toured the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham, grabbed dinner at the Cuban Revolution, then crossed the street to go to the Durham Performing Arts Center to enjoy a musical.

Here is a pictorial chronicle of Georgina’s adventures thus far:

Georgina the crochet monkey outside DBAP

Georgina the crochet monkey in front of the Lucky Strike Tower at the American Tobacco Campus

Georgina the crochet monkey frolicking in the flowers

Close up of Georgina the crochet monkey riding a tractor

Georgina the crochet monkey riding a tractor

Close up of Georgina the crochet monkey surveying a sculpture

Georgina the crochet monkey surveying a sculpture

Georgina the crochet monkey sitting outside DPAC

And if you’re wondering how Georgina liked the performance, she said it was Wicked.